Pheidole gemmula

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Pheidole gemmula
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Pheidole
Species: P. gemmula
Binomial name
Pheidole gemmula
Wilson, 2003

The type series is a colony fragment found in a moist white fragment of rotting wood buried in leaf litter, on the floor of mature terra firme rainforest. (Wilson 2003)

Identification

See the description in the nomenclature section.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Only known from the type locality.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -2.687467° to -12.497473°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Peru (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.
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Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.
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Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

  • gemmula. Pheidole gemmula Wilson, 2003: 551, figs. (s.w.) PERU.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

DIAGNOSIS A member of the perpusilla group (very small, with 10-segmented antennae), distinguished as follows.

Major: all of dorsum of head except frontal triangle and mid-clypeus covered by longitudinal carinulae; in side view, promesonotal profile forms an unbroken, near-perfect semicircle; propodeal spine small; postpetiolar node in side view depressed; mesosoma, waist, and gaster entirely devoid of sculpture.

Minor: in side view, promesonotal profile forms an unbroken, near-perfect semicircle; propodeal spines reduced to denticles; other than carinulae around the antennal fossae, the entire body lacks sculpturing, and is entirely smooth and shiny.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.72, HL 0.72, SL 0.36, EL 0.10, PW 0.34. Paratype minor: HW 0.42, HL 0.44, SL 0.32, EL 0.06, PW 0.24.

COLOR Major: body medium yellow, except for rear four-fifths of head, which is yellowish brown, and a yellowish brown spot in the center of the first gastral tergite.

Minor: concolorous clear yellow.


Pheidole gemmula Wilson 2003.jpg

Figure. Upper: lectotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Type Material

PERU: Cuzco Amazónico, 15 km northeast of Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, col. Stefan Cover and John E. Tobin. Museum of Comparative Zoology

Etymology

L gemmula, small jewel.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.